In the Photo:Kid Disaster is just another guy not drinking any of the booze.

"It was funny because everybody brought 40s and no one really drunk 40s back then.We had to make it look like we drank some sowe just opened them up and poured a little bit out," he tells me."We were all virgins, man.We were all virgins that just happenedto be in the music business and doing something.We were young, man, we were still in high school.We were just having fun, we never did think it wasgoing to do what it did, and when it did it was like 'wow.'"

​Now:K-Dee lives in L.A.,and is in the trucking business. He's also still doing some radio work and performing live, including a recent concert with Michel'le, who is perhaps the ultimate Hip Hop temptress,Dr. Dre's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son Marcel.Oddly, Michel'le also has a daughter byDeath Row Records founder Suge Knight.

People Don't Know:How hard it is to give up a rap career after getting a taste of success.

"I've tried to give it up a couple times.If it's in your heart, in your blood, it's hard to give it up," he says."When I walk the streets and people come up to me and are like'Yo, K-Dee, What happened man?Your album was one of the smoothest albums and we liked that,''If my friend knew I was talking to you he'd trip out'and stuff like that and you're like,'Man, I gotta get back out there!'And you also believe you still have it."

People Don't Know:How low the expectations for N.W.A were in the beginning.

"At the time, what I gathered from it was nobody knew it would be that big.It was just like, we're going to get together and do something.Dre and them were breaking off fromWorld Class Wreckin' Cru and they were just like,'Let's start a group.'Nobody knew it was going to blow up he way it blew up.And it took off."

People Don't Know:What separated the "N.W.A"members who went on to become famous from "The Posse."

Even at the beginning,the differences between the stars andthe supporting cast were obvious, says K-Dee.

"It was for the best anyway, they were the top ones," he says."Dre was the top producer and Cube was the top writer,so it wasn't a puzzle."

Before the Photo:If anyone caught a break because of his place on the Posse record cover,it's Candyman.A classmate of Ice Cube during his time at Washington Preparatory he was unaffiliated with the group at the time.DJ Scratch and Sir Jinx report Candell Manson was splitting time between their couches when he caught a ride to the photo shoot, and somehow landed a prime spot in the front row.

Though Candyman ignored requests to be interviewed for The Posse Project,he has talked extensively about the N.W.A. and the Posse cover before,insinuating that there was already a conspiracy behind the group when the photo was taken, contradicting others, who say the success the group's classic lineup had came as a surprise.

"It was kind of top secret, the whole NWA project, they kept it under wraps real well," he told raptalk.net. "They knew that they were on to something big.They knew that they had a concept that we didn't know anything about."

If that's true, why did they put Candyman right up front?We're left to wonder.Later in that interview Candyman claimed he wrotehis big single "Knockin' Boots" around that time but at least one actual N.W.A member contradicts that, saying Candyman had no involvement in the music business until he landed on the cover of Posse.

In the Photo:Candyman has said the cover represents the group at it's realest,before the development of the styles commonly associated with gangster rap.

That's why you see MC Ren as the only member of the group's classic lineup who's wearing the black ballcap and white t-shirt while Ice Cube has a clock around his neck, he says.

"That was a 'real' cover. That was an honest cover.That was without no perpetrating.You saw how Cube looked.You saw how Dre looked.

Everybody was being who they really were,"he said in the raptalk.net interview."That cover means a lot to me.I was right in the middle.There were times in the Swapmeets that people thought that'I' was Eazy E because I was right there in the middle of the picture."

Actually, Candyman later used the confusion about who was who on the Posse cover to his advantage, says Arabian Prince.

"Candyman got lucky," Arabian Prince tells me. "At the time, honestly, we used to actually get mad at Candyman because we'd be out on tour and we'd come back in town and sometimes he'd be representing N.W.A.and we were like 'Eh, eh, eh, you're not actually in the group.You're on the cover but... "

After the Photo:Candyman's story is possibly the ultimate irony of the N.W.A. and the Posse cover. Three years after the photo was taken, around the time N.W.A was releasing its hard-hitting 100 Miles and Runnin' EP, Candell had a top ten hit with "Knockin' Boots," a fun little bit of early 90s pop-rap.

Things got worse a year later when Candy dropped Platinum Hits. Despite what the name implies, it wasn't a greatest hits album -- Candyman only had a singular hit -- but another try at gangsta rap. Songs like "Dear Mama" and "Thug Life" weren't a success, perhaps sparing him a lawsuit from the estate of Tupac Shakur.

Now:Candyman lives in Vegas and books parties.Considering the heated public feuds which divided loyalties between the superstars on the Posse cover -- Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy E -- it's surprising that Candyman is probably the least popular person in this photo, dissed by several others pictured when he was mentioned.

"Candyman always kinda thought his shit didn't stink," said one of the other guys from the cover. "He's still that way."

​People Don't Know:That Candyman plays both sides of the gangsta card, alternating between 'pop-rapper' and 'streetwise thug' every couple albums. He's currently doing the pop thing and criticizing the others for not being real enough.He also claims to be one of two people actually drinking on the N.W.A. and the Posse cover.

People Don't Know:That Notorious B.I.G was inspired by Candyman-- or so Candyman claims.

"I came out before Pac and Biggie.Biggie gave me props!I met Biggie! Biggie came right up to me andgave me props when him and Craig Mack was out.I remember that like yesterday.When Biggie did that song 'One More Chance'that was a Candyman type of song," Candymansaid in the extensive raptalk.net interview."People was watching the blue-print.You can put that in writing!"

​This is the final installment in The Posse Project, a 12-day series in which www.PHXmusic.com caught up with all 12 guys pictured on the cover of N.W.A's first album, N.W.A. and the Posse. Today's post is on Eric "Eazy E" Wright, who passed away 15 years ago today.

^Êazy-E then^

^Bates AIO painted a tribute to Eazy-E in Hamburg, Germany for the Exchange project.^(Sketch by Sever MSK)

Before the Photo: Nearly everyone in the Posse photo was either involved in the Compton club music scene with (a DJ crew, a rap group or an electro-funk outfit) or just a hanger-on. Eazy-E was the exception.

A drug dealer, a high school dropout, and a member of the Kelly Park Compton Crips, Eric Wright aspired to get involved in the music business by starting his own record label with the help of Jerry Heller, a down-on-his luck former manager to stars like Elton John and Marvin Gaye. As this photo was taken, the pair's business had just started to build up enough steam to engineer a major coup: N.W.A's jump from Macola Records to the upstart Priority Records where the group would record their true debut album, Straight Outta Compton.

In the Photo: No one we talked to for The Posse Project could identify everyone else on the Posse cover by real name or by anything beyond a 20-year-old street name. Eazy likely would have been the one exception, since he was well-acquainted with even the hardest guys to track down: the mysterious Mexican Krazy D, the DJ Scratch who isn't EPMD's DJ Scratch and "Ren's Homie" MC Chip.

​

After the Photo: Eazy E was at the center of the development of N.W.A and gangsta rap. Though he originally did not intend to be a rapper himself, his fluke success rapping "Boyz-n-the-Hood" (when another group on his label refused) made him officially join N.W.A for Compton.

As Jerry Heller tells me: "Eric used to say it best. He would say he was the conceptualizer, Dre was the musicalizer, Cube was the verbalizer, and Jerry was the finanicalizer."

That system worked for a while -- long enough to change popular music forever, anyway. Things went well for N.W.A until financial disputes drove Ice Cube, then later Dr. Dre, away from the group.

Following the dissolution of N.W.A, Eazy continued on a solo career and signed new acts to Ruthless Record. Ruthless' most successful post-N.W.A group was Cleveland's Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, which later eulogized Eazy with their #1 hit "Tha Crossroads."

Anthony "Krayzie Bone" Henderson tells me his group called Ruthless Records 100 times before a receptionist finally persuaded Eazy to call them back. Eazy's rapping style was famously slow, which is probably part of the reason why the rapid-fire Bone Thugs crew blew him away when he finally heard it.

"One day he called us back, and I answered the phone and he was like, 'Can I speak to Bone?' and I was like, 'That's us!' and he was like, 'Yeah, I'm just returning your call cuz I heard ya'll were calling up here saying you can rap, so let me hear something,' so I got to rapping to him on the phone and he was like 'Man!' he was blown away. He said that it was crazy, he was putting other people on the phone saying, 'Listen to them rap!"Eazy-ECPT.com

​

From there, it was on. Bone rose to success while Eazy finally played the behind-the-scenes role he'd originally planned to take in the music business. Just after Bone's single "Foe Tha Love of $," which featured Eazy, was released, Eazy fell ill. Then, just like that, he was gone. He didn't live long enough to see Bone hit it big with "1st of the Month," a song so influential it was skewered in possibly the most infamous comedy bit of all time.

To put things in perspective: The 11 days between when Eazy was admitted to the hospital for health problems he thought were tied to asthma and when he died was one day shorter than The Posse Project has lasted.

Now:Eazy-E passed away at age 31 on March 26, 1995, after issuing a statement to fans:

I may not seem like a guy you would pick to preach a sermon. But I feel it is now time to testify because I do have folks who care about me hearing all kinds of stuff about what's up.

Yeah, I was a brother on the streets of Compton doing a lot of things most people look down on -- but it did pay off. Then we started rapping about real stuff that shook up the LAPD and the FBI. But we got our message across big time, and everyone in America started paying attention to the boys in the 'hood.' Soon our anger and hope got everyone riled up. There were great rewards for me personally, like fancy cars, gorgeous women and good living. Like real non-stop excitement. I'm not religious, but wrong or right, that's me. I'm not saying this because I'm looking for a soft cushion wherever I'm heading, I just feel that I've got thousands and thousands of young fans that have to learn about what's real when it comes to AIDS. Like the others before me, I would like to turn my own problem into something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin. Because I want to save their asses before it's too late.

I'm not looking to blame anyone except myself. I have learned in the last week that this thing is real, and it doesn't discriminate. It affects everyone. My girl Tomika and I have been together for four years and we recently got married. She's good, she's kind and a wonderful mother. We have a little boy who's a year old. Before Tomika, I had other women. I have seven children by six different mothers. Maybe success was too good to me. I love all my kids and always took care of them. Now I'm in the biggest fight of my life, and it ain't easy. But I want to say much love to those who have been down to me. And thanks for your support. Just remember: It's YOUR real time and YOUR real life.

People Don't Know:Eazy-E was the Greatest Gangsta.

Though he's certainly not ignored by the media, there are a lot of people who believe Eazy has never gotten his due -- myself included. The guys at Eazy-ECPT.com, a tribute site that's been running since 2005, do their best to change that by paying tribute to him.

​

"Eazy-E is a big deal and it bothers me that he doesn't get the props he deserves," says the site's head honcho, Sergio. "It's obvious that because he died due to complications of AIDS that his death is not celebrated like those who got shot. That's the only reason why I can imagine he does not get the attention he deserves."

It's the people who knew Eazy the best who miss him the most.

There are all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories out there about Jerry Heller, but no one who has ever talked to Jerry about Eazy can question the man's love for his lost business partner and friend. Talking on the phone from his home near the California coast, the former N.W.A manager gets emotional talking about Eric.

"He was the best. He was like my flesh and blood son," Heller tells me. "I was proud of him. He was a good guy. We always got along. I don't think we ever had a disagreement about anything meaningful. We may have had a disagreement about him showing up two days late to a meeting, but we never had a disagreement about anything meaningful."

MC Ren, the N.W.A member who grew up around the corner from Eazy, says his mind often turns to memories of his friend: hanging at the swapmeet, listening to music in the garage, cruising around Compton. Eazy wasn't the glock-toting thug people think, Ren says. He was just a cool dude. "A real cool dude."

"Eazy be in my dreams sometimes. It's like he's still alive, the dream be so real," Ren said. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I don't normally publicly thank people who provide information for my stories, but this project really depended on the passion, knowledge, and kindness of several people who not only gave me information, but harassed their homies into calling to me. Big thanks to Paulie Classic, Sergio from Eazy-ECPT.com, and Arcyn Al.

This is an installment in The Posse Project, a 12-day series in which www.PHXmusic.com catches up with all 12 guys pictured on the cover of N.W.A's first album, N.W.A. and the Posse. Today, we continue with Dr. Dre the superstar rapper/producer who has had the most success since this photo was taken.

^Dr. Dre then^

^Dr. Dre today^

​Dr. Dre

Also Known As: Andre Romelle Young, Dr. J

Before the Photo: Dr. Dre was already a notable musician, at least in Los Angeles, prior to his N.W.A days. As "Dr. J," the house DJ at Eve's After Dark (Compton's answer to the Cavern Club) and a member of World Class Wreckin' Cru, Dre had already established himself, landing a regular radio gig and selling an estimated 50,000 copies of the Cru's records through unofficial channels.

In the Photo: Dre -- positioned between Ice Cube and Eazy E -- almost blends into the background of the Posse record cover. He's neither wearing any sort of distinctive clothing nor taking any sort stance in particular. It's almost as though he knows the picture will go on an album that the group will not promote in earnest. And he very well may have.

Dre's longtime publicist did not return a phone call or e-mail for The Posse Project, but Ronin Ro's excellent biography on Dr. Dre makes an important point about the cover: Macola, the group's first label, likely knew the group was shopping for another label at the time it commissioned the picture.

As Arabian Prince noted in Ro's book, when a band got a deal with a new label, Macola's M.O. was to quickly release every song the group had done. Dre, ever the savvy businessman, may have wanted to play ball with Macola as long as he needed to until N.W.A's deal with Priority was done, without laying all the group's cards on the table by stylizing the cover. Dre didn't talk to us, so we don't know for sure, but it seems possible.

​

After the Photo: The early days of N.W.A are filled with great ironies: One original member of Niggaz With Attitude was a Latino, and pop-rapper Candyman is on the cover of Posse. Another hilarious coincidence concerns the group's label, Priority Records.

When N.W.A signed with Priority the group became only the label's second signed act. The other was The California Raisins.

That's right: The first non-compilation album released by Priority was The California Raisins Sing the Hit Songs. The second was Straight Outta Compton.

As Ro writes, the label's bosses made a mint on the Raisins and wanted to re-invest the cash in something edgy. N.W.A certainly fit the bill. So not only did Eazy E put in the old tape, Marvin Gaye's Greatest Hits, Eazy and Dre got a leg up in the music business because of a cartoon band's cover of Gaye's "Heard It Through the Grapevine."

From there, Dr. Dre's career has had only the most minor of setbacks. His work with N.W.A was stellar, his solo debut, The Chronic, is regarded as one of the best rap albums of all time, and nearly everyone he's produced (Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game) has had success.

People Don't Know: Despite being the most important musician of the past quarter-century, Dr. Dre is not a musician, says N.W.A's former manager Jerry Heller.

"Something more significant than the fact that Dre wasn't a real gangster was the fact that he wasn't a real musician," Heller tells me. "Dre, only recently, has learned how to fool around on the piano. None of the guys in the group was a musician. I mean, Yella played a little drums, but none of them were musicians, which is part of the whole genre with gangster rap. Rather than being a creator of music, Dre was an assembler of music. It's a very interesting genre, unlike anything that came before. We've never had really successful musicians before that weren't real musicians."

"[Eazy] was hurt by all that shit," Ren tells me. "He was hurt because him and Dre started out back in the day, back in Compton. Before all the record company shit, they were a DJ crew, High-Powered Productions, doing house parties and shit like that. Dre was the tightest producer ever, putting out hits on him, and he was hurting like a motherfucker. Especially when them [dis] records came out -- [hurt Eazy] like a motherfucker."

People Don't Know: Dr. Dre's departure spelled the end of N.W.A in a way Ice Cube's didn't, says Jerry Heller.

"The significant thing about the end of N.W.A was really when Dre left. After Cube left, there was still an N.W.A, but when Dre left, there was no N.W.A," Heller says. "He was certainly the most integral part of the group, and the most valuable asset Ruthless Records had."

People Don't Know: Dre's first effort for his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, suffered because Dre was too busy with the business side of things to do the production work he normally excelled at, says Jerry Heller.

"That's why the first Aftermath record was so bad. He did become distracted, and that Aftermath record is really the only bad thing Dre ever did in his life," Heller says. "When you look at Dre, he did World Class Wreckin' Crue, Turn Out The Lights . . . This guy has been at the very top of his game since 1986. He certainly is the most important producer of the entire rap period."

Thursday, March 25, 2010

​This is an installment in The Posse Project, a 12-day series in which www.PHXmusic.com catches up with all 12 guys pictured on the cover of N.W.A's first album, N.W.A. and the Posse. Today, we continue with MC Chip, who proved to be the hardest person to track down of anyone in the photo.

Before the Photo:Chip was one of MC Ren's best friends and also hung out with Eric "Eazy E" Wright, who grew up around the corner from him.

In The Photo:Along with Ren, Chip actually looks like he's part of N.W.A as the group later looked -- Kings hat, white t-shirt, jeans, black sneakers. Within a few months Chip and Ren's style became the group's style.

"Early, early West Coast hip-hop, before it became gangsta, we were looking for an identity," Chip tells me. "That was just how we, Ren and I, dressed. We were from the C.P.T. so that's how we dressed -- t-shirt, khakis -- we dressed like the G's. That's how the G's did it, so that's how we did it."

After the Photo:Chip went on to record a couple verses for Ren's solo records, including a spot on "One False Move" from Ren's 1993's 2nd album, Shock of the Hour.

and "Bang Wit Me." He was namechecked in the first verse of Ren's "Old Times," which is probably the best solo tracks Ren has released recently. (Ren actually mentions several other guys profiled for The Posse Project in the song -- can you pick them out?)

​Now:Chip isn't doing anything with music and keeps a low profile online. His only web presence is a BlackPlanet account.He lives in L.A. and works in transportation for an aerospace company.

"I still write a little bit, but I'm just working, man, just basically taking care of wifey. I can still do it, I'm still sick with it, but the reality of life, it didn't crack the way it was supposed to crack."

People Don't Know:Cursing on records was a huge novelty when gangster rap first started.

"It's a trip, I still remember when Eazy let me hear 'Boyz-n-the-Hood' for the first time," he says. "That was some crazy shit, man, because you're sitting there listening to it and you're like 'Man, he's cussing on this rap!' You're thinking, like, 'Damn, how's he gonna get radio play?' But one thing you knew about it was that shit was tight. There wasn't nobody else on that level doing that type of thing."

People Don't Know:Not everyone involved in N.W.A dislikes Jerry Heller, N.W.A's manager, who Ice Cube and Dr. Dre have attacked in song several times.

"[Jerry] was an important part of what happened, because, really, he took his business sense, and saw something in Eazy E, a street dude with a lot of intelligence, and he made it so he could get his records out to the world."

People Don't Know:N.W.A was it's own street team back in the day.

"I can remember jumping in the truck with Eric, we would just go grab some records from Macola and just go out to the swap meets and just give them to people. We would just hand them out, and that gave Eric a lot of street buzz,"says Chip.

WordofSouth.com: 8Ball & MJG are on www.WordofSouth.com for an exclusive interview.What’s going on?

Both: We’re doing alright. Everything is good on our end.

WordofSouth.com: It’s been a while since the fans heard from you. The Grand Hustle signing was announced a while ago. After that, you stayed in the shadows a little bit. What have you been up to since the signing was announced?

8Ball: It’s kind of been the same old thing. We’ve been in the studio and doing a couple of shows here and there. We really just took time out to do the things we wanted to and properly work on the new album.

WordofSouth.com: Why Grand Hustle? When it came down to it, why was that the selection you made?

Both: Why not?

MJG: It’s a good situation. We’ve known Tip [T.I.] for a little bit and a lot of them cats over there came up off our stuff. It was just a good choice at the time. Big Du [Duprano] is our manager over at Push Management, him and Jason Geter [CEO of Grand Hustle] have a good relationship and they discussed the deal for a while. It just seemed like a good thing for the time.

8Ball: Not really. Grand Hustle has been business as usual. It probably affected him the most out of anybody. As far as affecting us, I don’t think it affected us.

WordofSouth.com: “Ten Toes Down” is the name of the album and it’s coming April 6th. Are there any plans to drop a mixtape before the album?

MJG: Yeah. It’s on the way. I’ll just say that. It’s being hosted by DJ MLK & DJ Scream and it’s on the way. It’s called “Still Comin out Hard.”

WordofSouth.com: Is there a certain date for it at all?

MJG: It should be coming soon. We don’t have a date but MLK & Scream are setting everything up.

WordofSouth.com: So that’s coming soon. The title of the album is “Ten Toes Down” as mentioned. I want the two of you to explain that.

8Ball: It’s just fitting. Anybody from any hood in America, you’ve heard somebody say their ten toes down. Ten toes down just means we have our feet on the ground and head in the sky. That’s really the definition of everything. We’re just ten toes down about what we do and we’re real about what we do. That’s basically what it means.

WordofSouth.com: Ok. Did you guys do anything differently on this album that you haven’t done previously?

MJG: Most of it was pretty much using the same 8Ball & MJG format. We just did our deal. We probably have a couple of features on the album with people that we’ve never worked with before.

WordofSouth.com: Will get into that. The first single and video released is “Ten Toes Down.” Talk to us about why you choose that to be the first track to roll out. It does represent some of that classic 8Ball & MJG rugged sound.

8Ball: Yeah and that’s basically one of the reasons why we choose this song. It definitely represents our sound. It kind of represents how we feel right now too about us and everything in general. We thought it would be a great representation of 8Ball & MJG music and everything 8Ball & MJG do.

WordofSouth.com: As mentioned, it’s definitely rugged. Some fans felt some of the songs on your two Bad Boy Records releases weren’t as rugged as they could be. Was that a goal to re introduce that on this album?

MJG: I wouldn’t actually say rugged, but some of this production is a little more fitting with 8Ball & MJG because we had a lot of production done by Memphis producers [on this album].

WordofSouth.com: So you took it back home and worked with some Memphis producers on this album. You’ve obviously worked with so many different people from different states and countries over your long careers; do you feel Memphis producers give you the best sound for 8Ball & MJG?

8Ball: I definitely think a Memphis producer like Drumma Boy in general because that’s who we’re talking about, a cat like Drumma Boy is already good at what he does and he really knows 8Ball & MJG and the Memphis sound which is in him. He just knows it. We definitely got together with him and just pulled out some definite 8Ball & MJG classics. On this album, we broke it down to certain people to do a lot of stuff to get that raw 8Ball & MJG sound. It’s our sound and not anybody else’s sound.

WordofSouth.com: No doubt. Speaking of 8Ball & MJG classics, at the end of the “Ten Toes Down” video, there is a snippet video of your classic record “Lay it down.” That was really cool but also a bit random to fans. Why was that done?

MJG: We felt it was fitting with the video. At that point, a fight had just broken out. We always felt “Lay it down” was one of those fight songs in the club. It was only fitting to put that song right there to fit along with the fight scene and to make people reminisce back to “Lay it down.”

8Ball: And also to give all the new fans, cats who probably don’t know about that part of 8Ball & MJG, we wanted to show them where it all came from.

WordofSouth.com: I like that. You mentioned the situation over with Duprano at Push Management and knowing T.I. which brought forth the Grand Hustle deal, so tell us how E1 ended up becoming the distributor for the album.

8Ball: We really were just honestly trying to keep it at a certain level. That’s really the best move for us to make as far as where we’re at right now with 8Ball & MJG. That’s the best move for us as far as distribution. E1 made the most sense for us.

WordofSouth.com: MJG, you mentioned earlier working with some people on this album that you never did before. Name off some of the guest appearances on the project.

MJG: We have a song with Bun B of UGK; it’s a track produced by David Banner called “I don’t give a Fuck.” We have a song called “Smokin, & Chokin” produced by Nitti Beats and that’s featuring Snoop Dogg. We got a track called “We Come From” featuring David Banner rapping. We have a remix of “Ten Toes Down” with Lil Boosie on it.

8Ball: That’s out in the mixtape world right now. You can go get that right now. DJ Smallz and a lot of other cats [are using it on their mixtapes]. Don’t forget Young Dro on “DJ Bring it Back”, the single.

MJG: Yeah, we got Young Drizzle AKA Young Dro on the single “DJ Bring it Back.”

8Ball: And T.I. is of course on the album. That’s the most of it. The album isn’t really over flooded with guest appearances. Soulja Boy also. That’s about it though.

8Ball: Lil Boosie isn’t on the album. “Ten Toes Down” the remix with Lil Boosie isn’t included on the album. That’s just for the mixtapes. T.I. & Soulja Boy are also on the album, correct.

WordofSouth.com: I know you mentioned Drumma Boy and Memphis producers. You have a couple beats on the album from Drumma Boy. Who else produced on the record?

8Ball: Drumma Boy, Nitti, Nard & B and that boy Mo B. Dick did a classic. We have a cat named Raz of the Grand Hustle click. Young Swizzo from Memphis did one. That’s really about it because Drumma Boy did like five beats on the album. He went and got us a couple of them that got us some real classic 8Ball & MJG songs.

WordofSouth.com: “Bring it back” is the second single featuring Young Dro. It was just added to radio recently and it’s getting a lot of spins already. That’s the official second single. Is the video coming for that?

MJG: Yeah. And that’s the official first single because we consider “Ten Toes Down” the street single. “DJ Bring it Back” is the official single for the album. That’s what we’re giving to the world and let them tell us what they think about it.

WordofSouth.com: Breaking away from the album a bit, 8Ball & MJG have a lot of group albums but also do solo’s as well. Are there any more solo albums coming?

8Ball: Definitely from me. What you got MJG?

MJG: Honestly, most definitely. But music wise, I don’t want to say I’m just focused and have a solo for sure or when or whatever. I’m pretty sure one thing is certain; there will be more 8Ball & MJG projects. As far as being a part of music period, I think I’m just more focused on at least being a part of the music end of the industry period would be satisfying enough for me than to just not be a part of the music industry at all.

WordofSouth.com: Out of curiosity, there are a lot of legendary groups besides yourselves. Who is your favorite group not named 8Ball & MJG?

8Ball: Besides 8Ball & MJG? Is that what you said?

WordofSouth.com: Yep.

8Ball & MJG: (Laughs). From the south or just period?

WordofSouth.com: If you have a different answer, we can do both. Do it how you like.

8Ball: Hip-Hop or just music?

WordofSouth.com: Let’s keep it Hip-Hop on this one.

8Ball: (Laughs) my favorite group, there is a couple of them. I would have to include names like Geto Boys, UGK, NWA [and so on].

WordofSouth.com: I’m sure Outkast is in there somewhere.

8Ball: Yeah. I’ve always loved Outkast but as far as them being one of my favorite groups, I love them but they never really been one of my favorite groups. I love everything they do and they have great records and great concepts, but as a favorite group? I wouldn’t say that.

WordofSouth.com: OK. Back to &Ball & MJG for now. What’s your favorite album from you two that you listen too? From the whole discography?

MJG: I wouldn’t just say because of listening but I would say “Coming out Hard” because of the overall time and what was going on at the time. It’s also about how innocent the time was.

WordofSouth.com: The debut always is special.

8Ball: Yeah that first album – there is always something about that real first album. Like MJG said, that album was like a movie of our lives at that time. To bring back those memories goes with everything about us at that time.

WordofSouth.com: Speaking of that time all the way up to now, there has been a whole lot done. What would you guys say is the biggest mistake, and also the best move during your careers?

8Ball: In my opinion, I would say the best move and biggest mistake are one in the same – and that was the whole Suave House era. That was probably the best thing ever done for us but we made some big mistakes during that time that affected us later. I would say that our Suave House era is responsible for both of those.

WordofSouth.com: That’s dope. A couple of years back, you guys opened up your own label situations. Do you still have that? Is Mac E, Devious & The Volunteers still signed?

8Ball: I still have 8 Ways Entertainment and The Volunteers is just Rock Dillon now – The Volunteers is no more a group. And I still have Devious but that’s about it.

MJG: I got my own company called Space Age Entertainment. Right now I’m just really working on and what I’m trying to get to is doing production and crossing groups and concepts of music for other popular artists in the future.

WordofSouth.com: That’s a good look. I have to ask you 8Ball, people are hounding me to ask you about Yo Gotti and what that situation is like right now.

8Ball: Well in my mind, there is no Yo Gotti situation. Everybody is making a pinch out of a grain of salt. You know what I mean? It’s a grain of salt. Whatever people are talking about is nothing. Whoever is talking about it, it’s nothing. That’s really the gist of it – it’s nothing. People are taking things and kind of blowing it out of proportion. As far as a Yo Gotti thing, there is no Yo Gotti thing. I don’t know exactly what you’re even talking about. Can you break it down and be more specific? As far as there being a Yo Gotti thing, there is no Yo Gotti thing.

WordofSouth.com: To be more specific, I saw a quote about him saying something at a performance about the King of Memphis or something along those lines. I can find the quote right now.

8Ball: Yeah I know you do. Don’t act like you have to look for it; you know that shit right there (laughs).

WordofSouth.com: Nah, I don’t have it in front of me. I can probably find it. I ain’t that type of journalist to lie to you. Someone had showed me a quote. I never said or heard the performance but I saw the quote. As far as me breaking it down to you, that’s what it was.

8Ball: What was the quote?

WordofSouth.com: He said something about the king of Memphis at a club performance and you were performing that night as well.

8Ball: That was like a year ago? That was before T.I. went to jail? What else has happened since then? To keep it going, what else happened?

WordofSouth.com: If it’s nothing it’s nothing. I just wanted to clear it up.

8Ball: There is no Yo Gotti situation. In my mind, there is no Yo Gotti situation. That’s just the people keeping shit up. That shit happened over a year ago – December 2008.

WordofSouth.com: And overall, what’s next up for 8Ball & MJG?

MJG: The album “Ten Toes Down” April 6th. We’re just trying to do bigger and better things and keep it going and demonstrate the title – stay ten toes down and stay firmly rooted.

WordofSouth.com: No doubt. I really appreciate your time. You’re on www.WordofSouth.com and we hope everybody checks out the “Ten Toes Down” album April 6th. It’s sure to be another classic from the 8Ball & MJG catalog. Do you have any last words before I let you go?

I2G kicked it once again with Kurupt as he prepares his promo tour for his new album, Streetlights, dropping on 4/20. We talk about the new album and the process he went through in making it, take a trip down memory lane to talk about some of his favorite joints from his solo albums and much more so check it out.

Illuminati 2G is here with Kurupt how's it going?

Man you know what I do, you dig what I am talking about. Lacing up, getting ready for this 4/20 release of my fourth solo album ya know.

That leads right into my first question. You have the new album, Streetlights dropping appropriately on 4/20. Tell me about how the album came together for you.

Well you know I think it was long overdue for a real Kurupt solo album. Alot of people were getting my underground albums and mistaking them for my solo albums. There as also been alot of bogus Kurupt solo albums like Against The Grain and Down & Dirty. Basically I sat with my boy Terrance Martin and he was the first person I linked up with when I first got back with Snoop.

I decided to stick with the grain and go with him. Terrance deserves it, he is a great producer and he is definitely one of the best that is out there right now. We put our heads together and he asked me what kind of record do I want to make and I said you know I am chillin right now and I want to make a album that I can smoke to and everyone else can smoke to as well and have a good time, relax your mind and not going too much on the gangsta page.

Something real cool and I want to throw these lyrics at them so we put Streetlights together. I got me a Pete Rock record, a Lil Jon record and we just put it together man.

You have been a long time collaborator with Daz. I mean when you say Daz & Kurupt it is the equivalent of saying Guru and Premier of Gangstarr.

And you do know that.

What was it like going in working with Terrance Martin and some differences in working with him that you did not see with say a Daz or Fred Wreck?

Everyone has they own vibe and twist on how they do things so it was different working with Terrance. We were more in close with what we were doing, instead of being in a big boy studio, we did it all at Terrance's house. It was a relaxed feel to it and we were more comfortable and relaxed in the spot to do it.

The only difference is really the style of music. Terrance's style is different then Daz and Daz's style is different then Fred Wreck. But it at the same time was all the same thing, alot of hard work, alot of concentration, making records instead of just making rap songs, because I do that with Fred, Daz, Terrance and anyone I work with production wise.

I like to concentrate on making songs and not rap records. The vibe was not too much different, but just a different pace of music.

Is there any details that you can give about the album? Guests, did Terrance produce a bulk of the album? Do you have any videos set to drop other than I'm Burnt with Problem?

Yeah starting next week I am going to be filming about 7 different videos from the album, and about 3 of them for my mixtape to get ready to splash on this internet and hit the game with. I should have them done by the end of the week because we have been filming already so we just have not launched them out yet.

Guest appearances I got Suga Free on there, DJ Quik on there, I got Snoopy on there of course. J Black, Uncle Chuck, young lady by the name of Tone, she is one of the new generations coming out. Who else do we have SPLASHED up on the gig and you do know that!

Laughs

We also have my sister Virginia Slimm is one there, my lil homie Tri and we all got together and made it happen. I really kept it in house.

What's next as far as from you solowise after Streetlights? I know last time I spoke with you, you had talked about working with everyone from Dj Muggs to Bink to Pete Rock.

I don't know man, because I have had so many killers that it really depends on my vibe and how I am feeling. I think I am going to go to the club on my next album and clap off in the club. Get to having a good time and making music where people can groove, this would not be a record that people just roll to. Definitely going to be fucking with Bink on it, also going to be working with my man Dame Grease.

He just sent me some SPLASHERS! Continue to work with Pete Rock, I think you will definitely hear more Soopafly production on my next album, Maestro from Atlanta, he has so many winners. But as far as who will oversee the bulk of it, I don't know yet. I am still going to do my DJ Muggs album, these are going to come in due time.

It just feels good to have producers do a entire album on me like that. Best believe you can look forward to a Pete Rock produced album, Muggs produced album, Bink produced album, and a Dame Grease produced album as well as my boy Track Addict. I like it when it is one producer concentrating on your whole project instead of one beat and that's it. I like to marinate with a person, that is how we get our best music that way.

What is next for your label, Penagon Records? Anyone set to drop from the label in 2010?

I got 2 main groups that I am working with, G Hood Fellas and Y.A., so I think the next thing that I am going to drop from the label is G Hood Fellas or I am going to drop another solo album. It all depends, I don't know, right now we are all concentrating on Street Lights so who knows what the future holds.

We have a great team with Fontana/Universal so it is a big thing. We just want to play it by ear.

I just wanted to take a trip to the past with you and get your opinion on what are your favorite solo tracks from your albums. First one is the double album, Kuruption. Do you have any favorite memories or a favorite track from that album?

Oh man, that album was filled with so many favorites of mine, so many different and new places I went on that joint. Me and Daz did the song called Fresh, me and Battlecat did Play My Cards, We Can Freak It of course.

Absolutely

I got one I did with Studio Tone out in Oakland that was a real favorite of mine, This Ones For U. Devante gave me a classic that I really love, Put That On Something. And then there is C-Walk, so those are the ones that got the most play.

I love from that album, Game from the east disc. You lyrically slayed that.

Oh man that one was off the chain too right?

Yes! (laughs)

I love that one too, that Game record man. D-Moet produced that one. There were some classics on there.

Definitely. Next one is Streetz Iz A Mutha.

My favorite off of there is the title track. Me and Daz did that one. Also the song Trilogy, and the song Tequila that Organized Noize produced was also another favorite. The one Soopafly did, I Ain't Shit Without My Homeboys (sings the chorus). That was one of my ultimate favorites. It Ain't About You also. Then of course the one I did with KRS-One where we were freestyling.

Also the first track on the album, I Call Shots.

Yeah that was a crazy joint. I love Welcome Home too off of that album.

Yeah different levels but that one was up there as well.

Next album is Space Boogie.

The title track off that is one of my favorites too. "Fuck A Bitch, and fuck you too!" (laughs)

Laughs

That was one of my favorites off there. The one I did with Fred Durst and Nate Dogg, Lay It On Back, that was a great one for me. Kuruption with Everlast, that was a classic. Can't Go Wrong with DJ Quik and Butch Cassidy, that was outrageous. Sunshine with Jon B. Oh and Hardest Muthafuckas with Nate Dogg, Xzibit and MC Ren!

Oh man that was my joint off there too.

Classic! Yessir!

You said there is alot of bogus albums out there, but any good memories or a track that sticks out to you when you were making Against The Grain?

Not at all. I was very upset at life and the world to tell you the truth. I was going through alot and that is why I shut down on that album. I was like you know what, let me cut this bullshit out man and get back with my homeboys man. Time to get back to living, I had not seen my nieces and nephews in so long, none of the homies kids, Snoop's and Daz's.

I missed them and I missed my homeboys too. Snoopy and Daz and Soopafly, making that album I shut it down, that is why there are alot of albums on there that are not complete, they just patched them up and put them out there. They still threw it out anyway, I guess they just love Kurupt huh?

Right (laughs). Next is Same Day Different Shit.

That was my underground record right there, I had a ball making that with Daz. We basically made that album out in Atlanta. That was a album to get the people ready for a new Kurupt solo album as well as getting me back in the stride of things with Daz musically. For us to catch our rhythm again and we had a ball, we had a great time.

I would say my joints off that would be Gangstas Part 2 you completely blacked the fuck out on that track lyrically.

That muthafucka was banging!

That and Nina Breeda. Accessories.

Accessories, My God man you taking me back man! Those were my underground records and you can tell that it was not a official Kurupt solo because I used the name Young Gotti on there. That was definitely one of my classic underground records though.

What is your favorite track off of the new album Streetlights?

My favorite gig to tell you the truth is one record that I have titled on there called Streetlights. I love it so much because I am on a real note there, I am spitting some real good game there. Then there is also Face Down, it is off the chain! Of course Yessir that Pete Rock did, one of my golden ones on there for me is the intro record that I do.

I got a chance to just spray the mic and really just scretch out lyrically. Like I told them on the joint, born and bred/I stay bredded/let it be/spinning on the needles/injected/intervenously infect them like Lennon and the Beatles.

Nice! (laughs)

And you do know that! Fo Sho Fo Sho(laughs)

Definitely looking forward to that album.

Oh man you are gonna love it.

What is your favorite guest appearance on someone elses album that you have done?

Man I have done so many but You Know My Steez remix that me and Rage did with Gangstarr. Ain't No Fun of course, Doggy Dogg World that was my ultimate. I really got to spread these lyrics on that joint. That is definitely my number one favorite guest appearance record. Bitches Ain't Shit off of The Chronic, I had a great time with all of them and got a chance to do alot of new things and go to new places with those records.

I got a chance to spread my wings and be a part of something classic. Of course the one with Pete Rock and Inspectah Deck, Tru Master.

I would have to say for a posse cut, Initated was crazy, Blueberry as well but my favorite would have to be Stranded On Death Row from the Chronic.

Oh yeah, that was actually the first one that I did on Dr. Dre's album. That is so classic because I got a opportunity to be on that album and that song was the first he asked for me to be on. There is also Got My Mind Made Up with Daz, 2pac, Method Man and Redman on Pac's album. That was originally made in 1994 for the Dogg Food album, the first Dogg Pound album.

We did not put it on there because as soon as Pac got out of jail we loaded him up with music and that song was one of his favorites.

It's funny you mentioned that track because that was going to be my other song I was going to mention. I dig your verse on there the most. Whether I comes through with 2 packs/of the bomb prophylaxes/for protection/so my fucking sac won't collaspe.

God damn we can't have my shit collasping now can we? (laughs)

Laughs

Also that Check Out Time, we and Pac had a BALL making that song. Me, Pac and Syke man.

I know you said on the Doggystyle album that Rakim is your idol. Did you ever get a chance to work with Rakim?

Never got the chance to work with him but I have met him a couple of times and each time was just like the first time. When you meet someone that you have looked up to for so long, I mean Rakim basically shaped me as a MC and that is why I call him my idol because that was the guy that I idolized.

He was just a different caliber of MC, not a rapper. When I met him, it was like meeting the person that you grew up with all your life and patterned yourself after. It is like playing basketball and you meet Michael Jordan.

What is your thoughts right now on what seems like rising tension with OG rappers on the west and up and coming artists. I mean it is not tension on the level of the whole east/west beef and that was just on some trumped up media bullshit.

You are right.

I mean that was really between 2 rappers for the most part. But what is your thoughts on the west right now?

I really don't have any, people are going to be people. Everybody has a opinion, it is like assholes. I really don't get mixed up in it because beef used to be my speciality, so I am a little bit different when it comes to beef because I have been so embedded in that my whole career. Going on the internet, I really do not go on there too much because it exploits the problems.

True.

Instead of bringing things to the table. I am not mad at anybody. Because media's job is to shoot out there the information to the people and their job is to also sell the product. Papers, themselves, magazines, and the world loves sex, drugs and guns. The world likes to hear about fights and beefs and it is sort of like their job. They have to keep they gig and it takes a person who is beyond the sales and money and pressure to have the guts to put that out there.

So I really pay it no attention, it is going to come and go. I just hope no one gets hurt out of it because beefs are real and the thing about the west coast is it is really different then alot of other places when beef starts. It goes to the streets for real and they really cannot see each other without it going down because it is serious.

It is not for play and in most cases the beef is real out here. You hope that people do not get too involved in it that they get touched. I just let it go, there ain't too much that I can get involved into.

Now you and Daz also have a new Dogg Pound album that is dropping on 4/20 correct?

Nah we are dropping the Dogg Pound album this summer. It is called 100 Wayz. Me, Snoop, Daz and Soopafly, DPG and it is our best record to date.

Because I seen something on Amazon about a album dropping on 4/20 (sidenote, new Dogg Pound album, Keep On Ridin, is dropping May 25th on Amazon and other retail outlets)

We got a mixtape coming that we are going to be dropping soon to prepare them for 100 Wayz. That way we are feeding the fans and giving them something to listen to and roll to, because we did record alot of material during the original making of the album.

What is the status on 100 Wayz?

Actually we are mastering right now, and we do not have a release date yet, we are talking to a couple companies right now, who we will keep under wraps. But we are talking to them about the distribution of the project so it is looking real bright for me and Daz right now.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?

Oh definitely. We are going to hit this radio run for Streetlights starting in the next 2 weeks. Touring with Snoop, my album is done, mixed and mastered and it is ready to go, we are going to start our campaign HEAVILY starting the first week in April. In the meantime, I am going to be touring with Snoop, promoting this album, which Snoop is supporting me on this and allowing me to get my shine when I hit the road with him and push my product.

I got a mixtape out right now, 4/20 the prequel to Streetlights, hosted by the L.A. Leakers. It is a incredible mixtape and perfect for 4/20. Something you can roll to, smoke to and have a ball. Have a shot of patron and get it on, you know what I am talking about nephew?

Alright (laughs)

Or Grey Goose, I drink geese. We hit up Cancun a week ago then we hitting up South By Southwest tour in Austin on the weekend and then we will be hitting Dallas on a show with Ice Cube and then we come home because I have to shoot the official video from the album. It is all about Streetlights, Malice In Wonderland and More Malice and 100 Wayz DPG.

Alright well that is all the questions I have for you, appreciate you getting down for the interview. Always good to talk with you, I have been a fan of yours since Niggaz Don't Give A Fuck on the Poetic Justice soundtrack.

You know that, that was my shit too!

I have always said if the east and the west coast could make one blueprint mc, it would be you because you have the best of both coasts.

Well thank you very much, I got more coming for you nephew. I just started again.

Is there any last words before I let you go?

4/20, get that Kurupt album man. Go cop it for the national smoke day mayne. Get to the house or to your car and roll out and listen to it good. Don't smoke and drive! (laughs)

Laughs

Get to some place where you can relax with your folks, homies, or your woman and throw that Streetlights on man. Smoke something good and just relax man, 4/20, Streetlights you gonna love it.